Ciao Desperado
by Nanami Tsukiko - MoonWeaver
Summary: Kenshin is a black rogue, thieving in the wild west. Kaoru is a pony express rider and young lady. What happens when Kenshin attempts to attack her stagecoach? KENSHINKAORU pairing.
1. Chapter 1

_**Nanami: Ok, ok. I know what you're thinking. "Why the hell is she making a new story when she has 13 unfinished ones?" Well, its this naughty little thing I like to call writers block. **_

_**Now your thinking, "If she has writers block, why is she writing?" Well, when writers get stuck on writers block, they will write a one shot for fun. That is what this started as. Sadly, it grew as my stories tend to do. **_

_**Kaoru: Like Pryo Lunar!**_

_**Nanami: -claps hand to forehead- Don't remind me, Kaoru. Or I'll cut you out of the cast.**_

_**Kenshin: Is this the other Rurouni story you said was coming out soon in 'Dancing My Way'?**_

_**Nanami: -Looks Sheepish- No? That story, 'The Love Games' , is still under construction. I got stopped half way through the first chapter. Maybe that one will be next, though I'm also planning a Naruto story and eventually a DN Angel story as well. And maybe a Kim Possible, Jake Long; American Dragon, or Danny Phantom after that! -sighs frustratedly- Maybe I should do another poll somewhere…**_

_**Enishi: -enters room- Hello.**_

_**Nanami: -screams loudly- Ahh! Bad guy! Everyone hide! -Hides behind curtain-**_

_**Kaoru: -Hides behind couch-**_

_**Kenshin: I shall never hide! -Pulls out Sakaboto and resumes stance-**_

**(GOAL: 10 PAGES, 4740 WORDS)**

'_Found this morning, another caravan attacked and robbed by the man in black known as Desperado.'_ The paper read. Kamiya Kaoru's eyes anxiously scanned the remainder of the article.

'_The Sheriff has sent numerous men after this black masked rogue, only for them to disappear. Due to these mysterious vanishings, Sheriff Enishi has officially posted a 10,000 award notice for his capture, dead or alive.'_

Kaoru laid the paper down beside her with a sigh. Such a cruel man, this masked menace. He always left his victims alive, alive yes, but penniless, all their possessions stolen for what would have to be his tremendous treasure trove.

He attacked all over the prairie, any traveling stagecoach was easy prey for him and his band. He'd take their baggage, their clothing and jewels, their animals, a few times he'd even taken their carriages if they were finely made, leaving the owners in their underclothes on the prairie scape.

Rolling the paper into a tight bundle, she tucked it back away into the water tight pack on the back of the saddle then locked it up tightly so no one could tell she had been sneaking peeks at the mail again.

Chirruping at her black mount, the mare she had affectionately named Annie set off on a gallop for the next station. As soon as she had arrived she would have to hurry for home for dinner. She grimaced as the rough gate of her horse rubbed the coarse corset binding her chest against her sore skin. The rough boy clothes draped over her shoulders efficiently hid her gender from seeking eyes. Her pitch black hair was pulled into a tail, then doubled to give the appearance of short hair. Her face was still strongly feminine but the leather hat pulled low over her face hid that

Slipping through the narrow gate, Annie pulled to a halt, flinging dry dust over the waiting rider, his horse, and her boss the Station Master of this section of the Pony Express. Unbuckling the leather straps in record time, Kaoru pulled the bag free and tossed it to the anxious express rider who attached it to his own saddle and set off without a moments wait. Kaoru and the Station Master watched him leave, then the station guy turned to her.

"Kusko," he said, shaking his head sadly. "This is the third time in two weeks you've been late. What happened?"

"Sorry, pops." she said, unlatching Annie's saddle as she nervously popped the piece of gum in her mouth. "Indians." Well, it wasn't a lie, she told herself. She had indeed seen Fighting Bear on her way up. She always did.

"Again?" he asked, then shook his head slowly. "Kusko, every time you come late you say the same thing. Indians! While not a single other rider has seen them! Why just you?"

She succeeded in pulling the heavy saddle off of Annie and draped it over her shoulder, turning back to the old man. "I don't know." she told him. "I guess I'm just lucky." Ignoring his gaping mouth, she grabbed Annie's bridle and set off for the stable.

Entering the dark and dismal building, she deposited the saddle with a pile of others by the wall and led the black mare into a spacious box stall with plenty of hay and water in the bins.

She eased off the uncomfortable bridle, smiling at the gaping yawn Annie gave, telling Kaoru just how glad she was to be rid of the obnoxious bridle. Hanging the piece of leather on the wall, Kaoru turned back to the mare, resting her arms on her broad warm back.

"Ah, Annie." she said to her mare who was currently chowing down on fresh alfalfa hay. "If only you could talk. I'm so tired of no one talking to _me._" she sighed, watching the mare's ears flick back towards her, then forward again to her meal.

Kaoru bit her lip sadly, then turned to leave. Closing the door of the stall securely, latching it with both bolt pins. Annie had a habit of getting loose and running to the farm when she was left at the station. Kaoru couldn't risk that.

On her way out, she stopped at the stall of a frisky bay gelding and leaned over to rub his forehead. "In a bit, Zip." she told him. "I need to go sign off before we head home." The gelding flung his head up impatiently, then rubbed his wet nose over her cheek affectionately. With a laugh, she left the stable waving a affectionate hand at him.

She stopped at the office and knocked briefly at the hard wooden surface. At the managers bidden, "Come in." she opened the door and poked her head in.

"I'm heading off now, Pops." she told him. "I'm leaving Annie this time."

He looked up from his papers and sighed heavily. "Kusko," he told her. "Come in for a moment, we need to talk."

Kaoru's eyes widened. This didn't sound good. Opening the door the rest of the way, she tentively stepped in and sat in a hard wooden chair in front of his desk. Looking at his sincere face, she bit her lip nervously.

The manager rolled his eyes. "Please don't do that, Kusko. It makes you look like a girl instead of the tough boy I know is in there somewhere."

Kaoru stopped biting her and took a deep breath, trying to hide the bubbling laughter in the pit of her stomach. "Sorry, Sir." she mumbled when she had controlled it back under cover.

"Now, Kusko." he told her, leaning back in his chair and looking closely at her. "You're a very nice young man…" he left it hanging and pursed his lips, as if trying to think of a way to finish his sentence.

"But…?" Kaoru prompted, causing him to jump awake again.

"Oh, yes." he said. "I'm sorry, this old head of mine, slipping back to when I was young."

Kaoru sighed. "Look sir, I'd love a long talk but I have to get back home. What do you want to talk to me about?"

The manager heaved a heavy sigh. "Look Kusko, you're a wonderful young man, you work hard, you get the mail in one peace, you have a wonderful hand with animals, you're easy to talk with, but this coming in late CAN NOT continue."

Kaoru rolled her eyes and settled into the chair for the long run. He gave her this talk every time she came in late. Couldn't he skip it for once?

"Kusko!" he barked, causing her to jump back to attention. "Kusko," he chided. "Were you listening to anything I just said?"

"Yes, sir." she told him. "Every long winded word."

He sighed. "That's exactly what I'm talking about, Kusko. You take everything too lightly. I'm afraid.." he sighed heavily again. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go."

Kaoru jumped to her feet. "Sir!" she pleaded. "You can't do that! I'm the only one in miles that can ride. I can't lose this job!"

"I'm sorry, Kusko!" he said, rubbing his brow slowly. "I just can't take it anymore, you come in hours late with no real excuse, sometimes you miss the whole DAY! You're constantly making things harder for us. Whats wrong? Do you," he stuttered for a second. "Is their someone else? A girl?"

Kaoru gaped. "What? No! Of course not, its just, just." her voice fell. "Sir, please, I can't lose this." she pleaded. "Please."

He sighed, staring at her pleading face before turning away. "I don't know, Kusko. Will you change?"

"Yes. Yes." she told him strongly. "I will change, I'll make sure I'm here on time, I won't laze off. Kami, sir. I'll even stop joking around!"

He chuckled softly. "That won't be necessary." he studied her earnest face. "All right, Kusko." he finally said. "I'll give you one more chance."

She squealed, and leaned forward to hug him but he backed off. "Watch it, Kusko!" he warned her. "If this happens one more time you're gone. And," he added pushing her away. "I don't feel comfortable hugging people. Especially other men."

"Sorry," she blushed remembering her supposed gender. "May I leave now, Sir?" she asked. "I really should hurry home."

"Yes, yes. Shoo, shoo." he said, waving his hands in a go-away motion. "Hurry home, you said you were leaving Annie?"

"Yes," she said, opening the door. "She seemed a bit wore out so I though I'd take Zip home."

"Okay." he smiled at her. "Have a nice trip home, you'll be back in a week?"

She grimaced. "I'll try to be. Thank you again, sir. I won't let you down." with another smile she left.

Skipping cheerfully down the dirt path, she headed into the stable and pulled Zip's fancy bridle and English saddle out of the pile. She only took those home, she was a secret both at work, and at home.

Shifting through the junk piled on the rafters of the stable, she pulled a cotton pack out of the mess and hoisted it to her shoulders. Saddling up her anxious bay gelding, she chirruped at him and burst through the stable door, heading home.

As she and her mount pounded over the prairie terrain, she tugged in annoyance at her tight corset beneath her woolen shirt. She had began to don the boy clothes, and the name, a three months ago when her brother had died by an Indian attack on this same route. She had rode on the trail for revenge on the savages who hadn't even left a body for them to mourn over.

But the seething drive turned to simply a way to distract herself. Her mother planned for her to wed, for her father was already dead and now that her brother was gone her family had no one to defend them. As Kaoru was the eldest, it was only sense that she would be the one to bring a male into the family. Kaoru snorted in annoyance at that memory.

Kaoru first met Fighting Bear when the horse she had been on, another stable's old gelding, had seized from heat exhaustion and fell on top of her. Fighting Bear had found her so and had pulled the heavy steed off of her, releasing her from a dry grave. Kaoru's first reaction was to attack him, but she had eventually made friends with the cheeky boy.

He convinced her that none of his tribe had killed a rider. Indeed, they worked hard to make friends with the hard working young boys who worked for the express. Fighting Bear, the son of the local chief, thought it insanely funny that the young girl was pretending to be a boy. Kaoru had hard work keeping it a secret with him.

A short buck from Zip brought Kaoru back to reality. The farm was close by, she could see the stable easily from the rise where they were at. She guided Zip towards the stable, being sure to keep quiet.

Ducking into the back of the stable, she tied Zip to a ring on the wall and went into the dark tack room. Locking the door, she brought out a traveling gown and cape from her pack and slipped them on, removing the corset with a relieved sigh.

Taking her dark hair from its tail, she brushed it down then braided the front strands to frame her face. She looked down at her feminine outfit and sighed. The plain yellow gown and white cape were stained in places, a sign of travel, and was no longer as beautiful as it had been when her mother had first made it for her.

Straightening the rumpled skirt, Kaoru pulled her riding boots back on and grabbed her cloth pack. Going back out to Zip, she fed him a carrot she had snuck from the treats barrel in the tack room and lifted herself astride, this time in a much more lady like fashion, in riding side saddle.

She rumpled her hair a little to make it look wind blown, then sighed as she caught sight of her rough and stained hands. A nasty scent of ripe horse covered them in the foul way a bad scent will do. She rubbed them together, then grabbed Zip's bridle and guided him from the stable. Per usual, she galloped from the back of the stable towards the front of the house, coming to a noisy halt by the front door.

"I'm home!" she called, alerting the farm boy to his post. He came running from the side door, dinner still in his mouth.

"Miss Kaoru!" he called excitedly. "You're home early!"

Kaoru laughed. "Hello to you too, Oasim." she told him, leaning down for one of his eager hugs. "Why don't you take care of the horse then hurry back, you wouldn't want to miss a story, would you?"

He shook his head, then turned to her mount. His face fell. "You brought Zip home, m'Lady?" he asked her.

She nodded, eyes confused. "Yes, I though it might be a good time to bring him home for awhile. Is something the matter?"

"So Annie is still good then?" he asked urgently.

Kaoru nodded slowly. "Yes, Annie is fine. Just a little worn out as I ride her most often. I thought she would like a rest."

Oasim smiled. "Oh, good! I was afraid Annie had fallen to some sickness. I'll take care of Zip now."

"Thank you, Oasim." Kaoru told him, giving him a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you in a minute then. He ate not to long ago so you can put him straight into his stall."

"Thank you, Miss Kaoru!" Oasim said, grabbing Zip's bridle and skipping down to the stable.

Kaoru smiled as she watched them leave, then frowned and shook her head slightly. That boy reminded her of something. She just couldn't put her finger on it. Oasim had been living with the Kamiya family for five years now. He had come right after her father had died and did an excellent job taking care of their horses and dogs. He seemed to have a magical touch with her father's snappy old stallion, Oasim had even given him a nick name. Something like Austen, or Tish tosh. Kaoru shook her head, she couldn't remember the nick name.

Picking up her bag, Kaoru went into the large mansion her father had built for her mother, her two daughters, and her son. The spacious house had several times seen impending destruction, but had always prevailed. Her mother said it was her father's spirit protecting the house since they could not.

"Sister!" Kaoru was hit from behind by a relative missile, her younger sister.

"Megumi!" Koaru gasped, her breath knocked out. "Must you always do that when I come home?"

Megumi grinned impishly up at her sister. Kaoru sighed in exasperation, her younger sister had once again stolen into her mother's jewelry box and played with her paint. Her cheeks were blushed, her mouth a cherry red, and her eyelids a light blue.

"Megumi." Kaoru chided. "Did you get in mother's paints, AGAIN?"

Megumi shook her head, a huge grin spreading across her face. Standing on her tiptoes, she whispered into her ear, "MOMMY put it on me." Megumi laughed at the expression on her face, then skipped off yelling for her mother to come quick, Kaoru was home!

Kaoru slowly shook her head, rubbing her fore head tiredly. At her mother's squeal, she turned and collapsed in her mom's warm hug. "Hi Mom," she whispered softly.

"Oh, Kaoru." her mother crooned, rocking her gently back and forth, sensing her child's tiredness. "Are you okay? How was school?" (A/N they believe that Kaoru is going to a young ladies boarding school a whiles away while looking for somebody to get married too.)

"I'm fine." Kaoru insisted, raising her upper body up so she could smile at her mother. "School was wonderful, as always (A/N you can tell she never went!). How are you? Is everything okay here? I hate leaving you all alone."

"Of course we're fine, Dear." she said, "We have Oasim, and my brother."

Kaoru smiled remembering her Uncle Seijuro. He couldn't have been that much hope, the crazy potter was excellent at avoiding work.

"And then," her mother continued. "There has been this man--"

"What?" Kaoru broke in. "What do you mean, this man?"

"If you hadn't interrupted me," she told her. "You would already know."

Kaoru sighed heavily as her mother continued. "He's a very kind man. He has been coming over quite often, helping Oasim with the chores and such. I've invited him over several times for dinner, and if fact he is coming tonight."

Kaoru gaped. "Tonight? But--"

"Don't worry!" she told her daughter, playfully tugging on her braid. "I'll draw you up a bath real quick like. He isn't due for another hour at least."

Kaoru's face fell. Was this another man her mother wanted her to marry? "Do I have to stay up for him?" she asked. "I'm really rather tired. Couldn't I just go to bed?"

Carmelita (A/N It gets so tiring to call her 'Mother' all the time…) pursed her forehead in thought. "I don't know, dear." she said. "I would love to show you off. Could you please stay up, at least until he gets here?"

Kaoru sighed, her mother's expression had already made up her mind. "Just this once, Mother." she said, then continued ignoring her mother's squeal. "I'll meet him then go straight to bed. Don't expect me to chat with him."

Carmelita hugged her daughter, then sped off after administering a kiss to her fore head to draw a warm bath to wash away the travel.

Kaoru collapsed in a soft armchair. "Megumi?" she called. Her little sister appeared at her shoulder, eager to please.

"Yes, Kaoru?" she asked.

Kaoru looked her little sister in the eyes and gave her a tired smile. "Who's this man coming for dinner?" she asked.

A smile came over Megumi's face. "He's Bill!" she piped excitedly. "He brings me and Mommy lots and lots of stuff! Like Juan!"

"Who?" Kaoru asked, confusion spelled on her face.

"Her goat." Kaoru jumped when she realized Oasim had come back in and was smiling in the doorway. "And the little pest he is." he continued. "Darn thing won't stay in one place."

Kaoru laughed, remembering the little black nana goat left in with some of the younger horses at the stable. He always managed to escape if the door cracked open even a little bit. "So," she asked Megumi. "Like how old is he, does he look nice?"

"I don't think you need to worry," Oasim said before Megumi could answer. "I don't think she's planning on matching you up with him."

Kaoru's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him, her voice taught with tension.

Oasim grimaced. "I think your mother likes him, Lady Kaoru."

Kaoru closed her eyes in shock. Her mother in love? Not possible, her mother loved her father, not some man from the village. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"No," he told her. Kaoru sighed in relief. "But then again no one really can be except for her."

Koaru's eyes snapped open and she stood up, heading for the kitchen to get a drink of water and to try to forget what they had already told her, but she was accosted by her mother only feet from the chair.

"Kaoru." she said. "Where are you going? I drew up your bath for you. I even put in some smelling salts." Carmelita wrinkled her nose. "I though you might need them."

Kaoru sighed, then forced a smile onto her face and looked up into her mother's face. "Thank you, Mother." she said. "I'm sure that will be very useful." With a sarcastic smirk, not pointed at her mother but in the other direction hidden from her, Koaru started off for the bath waiting in the downstairs wet room. Maybe she would stay up and chat to this man tonight.

**(I'm skipping over her bath and now she is getting dressed for the dinner)**

Kaoru tugged harshly on the blue cloth that made the majority of her dress. Normally she kept dressing up like this for people and places she loved to dress up for. This was going to be rather uncomfortable.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she tightened one of the sleeve strings to match the other. Swirling a bit, she sighed in annoyance. This was one of her favorite dresses, of all the people to wear it in front of her mother's close male friend was not on top of the list.

Straightening the bow, Kaoru picked up a wooden comb from her dresser and dragged it through her tangled hair. She grimaced as she pulled it harshly across sore bits but kept up the fight, cheering herself on every time she defeated a particuly tangled patch.

As she came against a large rats nest at the back of her neck, she reminded herself why she was doing this for a man she hated before she had even met him.

"One," she said, "If he actually does turn out to be nice, I won't have scared him off." Of course, she told herself. That would never happen.

"Two," she continued. "He believes I have spent the last three months at a ladies school. I don't want him to get suspicious."

"Three," she finished, getting through the last bit of the tangle. "He'll be a lot nicer to me if he thinks I'm a fine young lady. I'm done!" She laid the comb down and surveyed her hair in the mirror father had bought for her mother before he had died, flattening the sides and playing with the one stray curl that had formed around her face.

Reaching for a pair of lavender pearl earrings, her gaze strayed to her mother's box of face paints. She bit her lip, considering the pros and cons, then decided it couldn't hurt and grabbed a brush.

Applying a light pink gloss, Kaoru chose the light rose eye shadow and laid it out to apply next. Her cheeks were naturally flushed so she bypassed the blush and picked up the eyeliner. She decided to be daring and pulled out the brown paint brush instead of the black.

Looking in the mirror, Kaoru decided she had done enough as her appearance seemed one of a 'pretty' girl from a town rather than her own. Picking up a clip with a white rose sewn on, she clipped back half of her hair, allowing the side with the curl to stay fallen across her cheek.

As she pulled on a pair of matching dainty light blue slippers, she heard a carriage pull up outside and hurried out of the door and downstairs to the dining room where her mother and sister would be waiting.

Opening the magnificent mahogany doors, Kaoru smiled to herself at the astonished look her mother gave her.

"Kaoru!" she gasped. "I though you didn't want to stay up?"

Kaoru smiled nervously. "I thought I might as well." she said. "There aren't many nights that I will get to dress up like this."

Carmelita smiled happily, then gestured to her side as the sounds of Oasim inviting her guest in was heard.

Kaoru slipped to her side and managed to paste on a smile before the door opened and she got her first glimpse of her mother's friend. Before she slipped into a faint.

**(What?!?!)**

_**Nanami: Sorry to end it on a cliffy, couldn't help myself. -evil chuckle pokes Enishi whom Kenshin captured and tied up-**_

_**Kaoru: I don't faint! -glares at Enishi-  
**_

_**Nanami: I beg to differ, you are the most likely of all the Rurouni characters to faint. I can just see you, plopping to the ground in a swoon… -falls over laughing-**_

_**Kaoru: -pouts-**_

_**Kenshin: I'm confused. This is supposed to be a story about me and I'm not in the first chapter. -plays with Sakaboto-**_

_**Nanami: -looks secretive- I wouldn't be so sure of that, Kenshin.**_

_**Kenshin: -looks confused- what, am I Bob?**_

_**Nanami: -hums to self- I'm not saying.**_

_**Megumi: Why'd I have to be so young? I don't like being younger than Kaoru.**_

_**Nanami: Well, first of all I wanted Kaoru to have a younger sister. You were a prime suspect. And also, I want everybody to be positive that it was Kaoru that was going to get Kenshin. Not you.**_

_**Sanosuke: -pokes head in room- Am I and the monkey in this story?**_

_**Yahiko: -pounces from behind Sano and smacks him on the head with stick- I'm no monkey!**_

_**Nanami: Yep, both of you will be in here. With a few surprises that is…**_

_**Yahiko: -sweat drops- I knew it, I'm going to be a girl, aren't I?**_

_**Nanami: -Hugs self excitedly- Not telling!**_

_**Yahiko: -swoons-**_

_**Nanami: Stop acting, Yahiko.**_

_**So anyways, I hope you all liked it. Kudos to reviewers!**_

_**P.S. If anybody guesses correctly who Oasim is, I'll tell you a little secret about this story. There is a big hint in the name. So play around with it, you never know, you might get lucky.**_

_**If you do guess, please leave a way for me to contact you. Either sign in, or leave a working email address. And I don't mind anonymous reviews either, as long as I get them!**_

_**12 PAGES.**_

_**4,501 WORDS.**_

_**Wow, I only just made my goal. Don't forget to review!**_

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	2. Changing

WARNING!

I know you're all on here hoping this is a new chapter, well. It's not. But you need to read this!

The reason why I haven't been on for AGES is because I was banned by my parents. Now I'm back on, but I have to have a different account. My new account is The Pixie AquaStone. You have one week to read this and bookmark my new name! Because in one week I'm deleting this account! These storys will be rewritten and later published on my new account. Right now, I am writing NEW stories that are a lot better! My writing style changed while I was banned and now my stories make a lot more sense and I FINALLY have a beta!

So come check the new me out! 


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